Chapter 155
Officer Chen, you're so confused!
Although Shi Lei was annoyed, he didn't say much.
Chen assumed everyone knew about these things, so she hadn't intended to hide them beforehand. Seeing Texas's reaction, she quickly shut up and stopped mentioning it.
Exusiai eventually broke the deadlock, livening up the atmosphere by organizing everyone to play drinking games and roll dice.
We lost yesterday, so we're going to get our revenge today!
After more than a dozen rounds of drinking, Officer Hoshiguma surprisingly emerged as the best drinker. She was in a good mood today and actively participated in these drinking games. Even after drinking dozens of bottles of beer, she showed no signs of intoxication.
Shi Lei recalled her previous act of pretending to be extremely drunk, suggesting that her alcohol tolerance was unfathomable.
This meal was much more lively than before; everyone partied from around 6 PM until exactly 10 PM.
Chen had to go to work the next day, so she pulled Hoshiguma aside to say goodbye to everyone when it was time. Croissant didn't live there, so she left with them.
Shi Lei glanced at his phone and figured it was almost time. He stood up to clear the table.
"Then let's accept it."
"No, these can be a snack."
Exusiai, sitting at the Sarkaz table, replied:
"You go to bed early, so you should get some rest too. I want to teach them how to play mahjong so we won't lack mahjong partners in the future."
Shi Lei had no intention of participating; his attitude towards mahjong was simply as a form of entertainment to pass the time. He would occasionally play with friends, but he wouldn't get addicted.
"Alright, you guys can play if you want. But those of you who have to work tomorrow, it's best not to stay up late."
"Haha, I got it. Zhongli, get two tables and a mahjong set."
Shi Lei had already reminded them that adults must be responsible for their actions. He set up two square tables and two sets of mahjong tiles, then pulled down the roller shutter to prepare for washing up.
Taking care of Lisa during this time has completely adjusted Shi Lei's biological clock. He used to go to bed at one or two in the morning, but now he feels sleepy before midnight. After washing up, he lies in bed, plays on his phone for a while, and then falls asleep.
"Thanks, let's go have some fun!"
Exusiai picked up a set of rock mahjong tiles, finding it a bit heavy. She then had Sarkaz carry another set of mahjong tiles and two tables to Warehouse One.
"Texas, do you want to come play with me?"
"No, you go ahead."
Actually, Shi Lei had an even better set of iron mahjong tiles at home, a gift from Miss Nian. Exusiai didn't insist on it, and they made do with the rock mahjong tiles.
Because she doesn't bet money, she usually tries to get big hands when playing mahjong, which leads to her losing more than she wins.
Now, when teaching beginners how to play, they can leverage their experience to enjoy the thrill of blasting fish in the pond.
The Sarkaz present were born in Kazdel, a land rife with war. Their access to entertainment was extremely limited, consisting mainly of darts and cards.
Theaters and movies were high-end entertainment options reserved for the nobility. They had never even heard of Shangshu Mahjong, which originated in the Yan.
After everyone was seated, Exusiai began explaining the rules of mahjong. Considering her high chances of winning early on, she stipulated that the loser must drink. She thought she would dominate the game tonight, but things gradually took a turn for the worse.
"All suits, self-draw, it's your turn to drink."
"Huh?"
These Sarkaz mercenaries, who often played cards for fun, frequently won after mastering the rules of mahjong.
"The last nine of bamboo, I won."
"Huh???"
The incompetent but addicted Exusiai paid the price for underestimating her opponent.
She's going to suffer a lot tonight.
Seeing that Exusiai was drunk and seemed on the verge of collapsing, Mudrock immediately stopped the game and helped her home. The two warehouses were close together, just a few steps away.
"I... I can still drink..."
Hearing these drunken words, Mudrock grinned. He carried the other person on his back and took him back to Warehouse No. 3.
As she left, she stared at the clean and neatly arranged tableware for a long time.
Upon returning to Warehouse One, Mudrock approached the Sarkaz apprentices at the hotel and asked:
"Can you teach me how to cook?"
Disdain from Kal'tsit
219 Reine des Neiges!
(4K)
When Mudrock said he wanted to learn to cook, the Sarkaz apprentices exchanged bewildered glances. They all sensed disbelief in their compatriots' eyes.
"Boss, are you serious?"
"A few of us can cook, why do you need to learn this?"
"That's right, just leave these to us."
Mudrock paused for a moment, seemingly thinking of a reason that would convince everyone. She could do basic cooking, but it wasn't quite up to her level of creating delicious dishes.
"I got interested after seeing all of you learning this. Besides, I don't cook every day, so learning to cook occasionally shouldn't be a problem, right?"
This explanation is indeed flawless.
Sarkaz, who understood the trick, wisely refrained from revealing it. Since the boss liked it, he might as well teach her.
"Boss, we haven't finished setting up the stove yet. Why don't you practice the basics first?"
"What basic skills?"
Sarkaz raised his hand, pointed to the radish he used for practicing carving in the plastic bag, and explained:
"First, practice cutting vegetables. You have to cut each slice thinly and evenly. This is one of the basic skills of cooking."
Unlike these mercenaries who are skilled with daggers, Mudrock's usual weapon is a powerful hammer. To learn knife skills, he would have to start all over again.
But once the goal is set, it must be carried out diligently.
"Alright, I'll practice a bit in the next few days. But you're not allowed to tell anyone about this until I've mastered it!"
The Sarkaz looked at each other. They all knew that Mudrock Science had been spurred on by Texas and wanted to personally cook a meal for Shi Lei.
They really couldn't comment on this kind of thing. Anyway, since the eldest wanted to learn to cook, they would teach him normally. As for other things, that was none of their business.
Time flew by, and nine days later...
June 13, 3:43 pm
A red-haired, purple-eyed Sarkaz gazed at the distant Mobile Cities of Lungmen, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Red-haired Sarkaz possesses a youthful and beautiful appearance, but suffers from severe memory and cognitive impairment. Sometimes, without warning, memories he has no recollection of will surface.
Unable to ascertain her identity, she wandered the Terra, searching for an answer.
Who am I, really?
This seemingly philosophical question troubled Red-Haired Sarkaz for a very, very long time.
One midday in early May, she was traveling to the southern part of the Ursus Icefield when she suddenly sensed an indescribable energy fluctuation coming from A Thousand Miles Away.
To find out the specifics, the red-haired Sarkaz traveled day and night and arrived in Syracuse in late May.
But she didn't get the answer she wanted in this place. The energy fluctuation completely disappeared, as if it had never existed at all.
Red-haired Sarkaz was in a bad mood and beat up all the Wolf Lord who had come out to stop him and ask questions.
Later, a Wolf Lord named Zaro appeared in the deserted wilderness and provided her with information about 'that man's' identity.
Specific name unknown. It's only stated that the person is Messenger from "Penguin Logistics," a logistics company in Lungmen. The energy fluctuations in early May were triggered by him, and he seems to possess powers not belonging to this world.
Whether Zaro was telling the truth or not, Red-Haired Sarkaz didn't care. He just saw that Zaro was intentionally or unintentionally urging him to deal with that man, so he used Laevatein to teach this gossipy fellow a lesson.
Afterwards, Red-Haired Sarkaz stayed in the area for a few days, but finding no other useful information, he set off from Syracuse, following the trade routes to Lungmen.
The red-haired Sarkaz, who roams the world, has no shortage of time. If Zaro dares to lie, she wouldn't hesitate to go back to Syracuse and tear its mouth apart.
As the summer solstice approaches, temperatures in Lungmen are gradually rising.
At the checkpoints of the Mobile Cities, people lined up to wait to enter. Lungmen Guard Department officers were stationed at every checkpoint, not daring to relax their vigilance for even a moment.
Red-haired Sarkaz, carrying a two-handed greatsword, stood obediently in line at the back.
In fact, there are many ways to illegally cross borders in Mobile Cities like this. But she didn't want to clash with the local police for the time being, so as not to affect her upcoming meeting with the man.
"Next!"
After waiting in line for several tens of minutes, it was finally Sarkaz's turn. She followed the passage to a private room.
Upon seeing that it was a woman, the male police officer from the Lungmen Guard Department turned around and went out, calling the female officer outside to come in and verify.
The main purpose of this room is to check whether incoming travelers have dangerous items and whether they are infected.
In some individuals with milder Originium-related illness of Oripathy, Originium crystal will not appear on the skin. Only a small number of Originium Particles will be detected in the infected organs and blood.
With so many checkpoints and outposts in Lungmen, it's impossible for every location to be equipped with high-tech testing equipment. Therefore, the standard for determining whether someone is infected is the presence or absence of Originium crystal on their skin.
This aligns with the judgment methods used by most countries on Terra, who do not consider mildly infected individuals with Originium crystal on their skin as infected. In fact, some mildly infected individuals are unaware that they are infected.
After passing the relevant tests, Sarkaz, the red-haired man, began to be questioned by the female police officer upon his entry.
"Name."
"Surtr".
"Race."
Surtr found the question puzzling, glanced up at the policewoman, and replied:
"Sarkaz".
"Did you come to Lungmen for studying, business, tourism, or to visit relatives and friends?"
Surtr is looking for someone, which seems to match the last option:
"I guess you could say I'm visiting relatives and friends."
"What is your destination?"
"Penguin Logistics".
Upon hearing the name of the place, the policewoman immediately sat up straight and carefully examined the Sarkaz in front of her.
After a moment, she continued to ask:
"What's the name of the person you're looking for, and where do they live?"
No comment.
"La Signora, please cooperate with the Lungmen Guard Department. Only by clearly stating the purpose of your visit to Lungmen can we determine which district you should enter."
"I just need to find a Messenger to confirm some things; I can't say more about that."
The policewoman then asked about the length of her stay, whether she had relatives in the city, and other common entry questions. After filling out the form, she stood up and announced the result:
"I'm sorry, La Signora. Surtr. If you are unwilling to cooperate, in accordance with Two Strips of the Lungmen Immigration Security Management Regulations and Article 67 of the Lungmen Immigration Security Law regarding weapons, we will reject your entry application. You can choose to leave Lungmen or go to the Lower City for temporary refuge. The checkpoints between the Lower City and the Upper City will still require approval before you can pass."
Surtr's greatsword Reine des Neiges, is considered a prohibited weapon by the Lungmen Guard Department. Carrying it on the streets of Lungmen could potentially endanger public safety.
Furthermore, given her inability to provide more information about the person she was looking for, it was entirely reasonable to reject her application.
"No need to say more, I know."
Surtr's tone was somewhat impatient. The checkpoints guarded by the Lungmen Guard Department couldn't stop her at all. Not launching an attack on the spot was already the maximum compromise they could offer.
"Let's go to the Lower City."
The policewoman received a reply and did not insist:
"Okay, La Signora. Surtr. You can leave through this door on the left and follow the arrows on the wall to the Lower City's immigration checkpoint. Our staff will be there to answer any further questions you may have. If you plan to stay in the Lower City for an extended period, it would be best to..."
"Don't tell me what to do."